New England Patriots 2020 NFL Draft: Michael Onwenu fits well
New England Patriots go counterintuitive and make a draft pick that makes sense.
Finally, in the sixth round, the New England Patriots seem to have “gotten it right”. They selected a position they need and a player that actually might be a good selection for meeting that need. It’s Michigan guard, Michael Onwenu. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I like this pick.
Onwenu is a big guy. A big guard. A big man. He’s just … well big, and that’s a good thing for an interior lineman.
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The Patriots need interior linemen. They are thin at backup guard. That is if Joe Thuney is traded later (which is increasingly more unlikely, but still possible), he may just start. It’s a good, solid pick.
This is the type of pick that should have been a theme throughout the Patriots draft. Taking a player who can play and fits a huge need, and it should have been on offense in the early rounds.
The Patriots defense last season was statistically very good, but close observation discloses it was overrated. They didn’t get the job done against the NFL’s iron, but they still were proficient.
Yet, should the Patriots have had an even relatively good offense for them, they would have competed for a Super Bowl title. They didn’t.
They were woefully deficient in wide receiver talent, in impact running backs, at the tight end position, and in the offensive line. That’s a lot to make up.
And in addition, they just lost the best quarterback in the history of the league. That’s a tall order to fill.
The good news was, the Patriots had bountiful draft assets in 2020 to help make up the deficiencies. Yet, for some reason, they drafted defense in their top 3 premium picks. That was a big mistake.
They didn’t address the offense until the third round. Then, they took 2 tight ends. A real need, but the wrong players. Another faux pas.
Yet, since the offensive line was also one of those most important needs, drafting Onwenu is a welcome and solid move. Onwenu played for Michigan. That’s big-time football. He’s a good fit.
New England Draft Summary
The problem is, the Patriots did nothing to address the quarterback position, or the wide receiver position. The Patriots did nothing to address the big running back need, and the Patriots did nothing to address the offensive tackle position.
These deficiencies had to be remedied if the Patriots were to have any reasonable expectations of maintaining any type of competitiveness in 2020.
Next. Dalton Keene has the Patriot Way in his veins. dark
Since they were not, the expectations remain grim.